“Power of Passion”

Kate Dendinger Text Story

By: Olivia Koeberle

On the court, victory takes the backseat to a young girl's determination and hunger for the game. Kate Dendinger is a 20-year-old junior at the University of Oregon from Moraga, California who has always had an itch for the game of volleyball. Dendinger is an active member of the club volleyball team on campus. This past year, she has had the opportunity to travel with the team to various tournaments in cities such as Kansas City, Irvine, and Seattle. There have been many lessons she has learned from her travels but none as great as the ones she has learned on the court.

Kate grew up with the opportunity to play many sports such as swimming, basketball, soccer, and softball, but volleyball was the one that stuck. She began playing club volleyball in 6th grade and continued until she graduated from high school. She also played on the varsity team for all four years of her high school career. When asked about her passion for volleyball, she said, "My dad played collegiate volleyball at UCLA, which inspired me to become passionate about the sport. Also, playing together with my dad brought us closer." As a freshman in college, Kate did not immediately join the club team, as she wasn't sure if she wanted to continue playing competitively. However, she missed the sense of community and organization that a team provided her. She also stated that she is a very competitive person and enjoyed tapping into her competitive nature on the court. She officially joined the team her sophomore year and found a community outside of her sorority life.

While in college, being involved in sports is easily accessible, however, after school, it is harder. When asked where she sees herself with the sport after graduation, she shares that she would love to play beach volleyball to keep the socialization aspect and maintain her health. When speaking with one of her teammates, Megan Imbach, she spoke very highly of Kate's dedication to the sport, “Kate is an extremely talented and smart player that can compete and execute under pressure. She is so passionate and has a drive to win that is inspiring to watch. Everyone needs a Kate on their team”. One day, she would also like to teach her children to play, after having such a special bond with her father over the sport. After experiencing such a sense of community and support from joining a team, Kate does not see herself quitting the sport anytime soon.